This invention relates to reels for use in fly casting, and is more particularly directed to improvements in multiplier-type fly reels.
In fly fishing, the purpose of the reel is to store the fly line and backing, and to retrieve the line. The reel plays no part in casting of the line, except to permit stripping out more line when needed. The reel is usually not used in a playing a fish, where the fish is over a pound or so. For most fish, once the fish takes the fly, the fisherman permits the fish to run against the drag imparted by the reel, until the fish tires out. Then the line is reeled in until the fish can be netted or until the fish attempts another run.
When fishing several varieties of fish, such as steelheads, salmon, muskellunge, bass and large trout (in the 2-6 pound range), the fish are expected to make very long runs. Open water conditions, the strength of the fish, and the fact that the drag must be set well below the breaking strength of the leader, which is usually only a few pounds, are factors that can lead the fish to running out large lengths of line. A long supply of backing line is needed here to prevent the fish from running out all the fly line and backing line and snapping the leader before tiring.
Multiplier fly reels are quite popular for the above conditions as they permit the line to be cranked in quickly, even after the fish has made an extremely long run. Multiplier reels are also favored where long casts are required, but where the line is reeled in between casts. Also, when a fish is running at the fisherman, it is important to reel in the line fast so that the line will not become slack enough for the fish to spit the fly out. Multiplier fly reels facilitate speedy line retrieval in such cases.
The fly fisherman will understand that a multiplier reel, or multiple action reel, is a fly reel in which the spool speed is faster than the crank handle speed, usually by a factor of from 2:1 to 4:1. In a direct-drive or single-action fly reel, on the other hand, the crank or handle and the spool turn at the same rate of speed.
A problem that multiple action fly reels have not addressed adequately is that a fish may begin its next run while the fisherman is reeling in his line. Ideally, the reel should sense this and disconnect the reel spool from the crank handle so the fish can pull against the drag of the reel, and tire itself. Then when the fish stops, the reel should sense this also to reengage the spool to the crank handle so the fisherman can wind in the line.
As with any other type of fly reel, the multiplier fly reel should accommodate interchangeable spools and should be field-convertible from right-hand to left-hand line retrieval.
A single-action reel was proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,461,435, which included disconnect means to permit the spool to rotate to the exclusion of the crank or handle when the line was tensioned. However, the concept of that patent relies on the direct-drive operation of the single action reel, and could not be carried over to a multiplier fly casting reel.